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Commitment to either fate is determined during the preceding cell cycle that begins with invasion by a single, asexually committed merozoite and ends, 48 hours later, with a schizont releasing newly formed merozoites, all committed to either continued asexual replication or differentiation into gametocytes2,3.

It remains to be noted that in Karyolysus lacertarum, according to Labb�, two kinds of schizont are developed, which give rise, respectively, to micromerozoites and megamerozoites, in either case enclosed in a delicate cytocyst.

A young trophozoite which is becoming a gametocyte is distinguished from one which gives rise to a schizont by its much slower rate of growth, and the absence of any vacuoles in its cytoplasm.

The only small problem with Ms. Shah’s narrative is the likelihood that if you don’t know your falciparum from your vivax and your merozoite from your schizont, you won’t be learning it all here.

Once inside a new host-cell, the merozoite grows to a schizont again.